Distracted driving, inexperienced driving leading contributors to teen crashes

Preventive programs seem to be helping reduce the incidence of teens driving under the influence of alcohol, reported the Insurance Information Institute.
Immaturity, lack of driving experience, night driving and teen passengers are the primary contributors to the high crash rate among teens, the III reported.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15- to 20-year-olds, and teenagers are involved in more motor vehicle crashes late in the day and at night than at other times of day, the III reported in its June issue of The Topic.
But preventive programs aimed at reducing the incidence of drunk driving in teens seem to be having an effect.
A survey of 2,300 high school students in April 2011, commissioned by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD), found 6% of students say they have driven under the influence of alcohol on prom night – “a very low proportion when compared with the perception of prom night behaviour,” the III said.
“In a 2009 study, 90% of the teen respondents thought that their peers would be more likely to drink and drive after the prom than at other times.”
The new study cited possible reasons for the low incidence of prom night drinking and driving, including school programs and policies designed to keep teens from engaging in illegal behaviours.
“Eighty-nine per cent of students said their school had programs to discourage underage drinking at school events. Some employ security guards or police at the events, organize transportation and use breathalyzers.”